Meaning & use
female subjugation
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Meaning
noununcountableformal
The state or process in which women are controlled and treated as less important by a male-dominated society.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'the' when referring to a specific historical or social situation.
Patterns
- the female subjugation of something
- female subjugation in something
The novel explores female subjugation in nineteenth-century rural communities.
Activists argue that female subjugation is maintained through unequal laws and economic dependence.
Her speech linked female subjugation to limited access to education.
Common combinations
- female subjugation in society
- The report examines female subjugation in society and its long-term effects on families.
- the legacy of female subjugation
- The legacy of female subjugation can still be seen in pay gaps and political representation.
- combat female subjugation
- New laws were introduced to combat female subjugation in the workplace.
- female subjugation and oppression
- The course covers female subjugation and oppression across different cultures.
Synonyms and how they differ
- oppression
- Broader and can apply to any group; female subjugation specifies women and a male-dominated power structure.
- subordination
- Focuses on being ranked lower rather than being actively controlled; often used in legal or economic contexts.
- patriarchy
- Names the whole system rather than the condition of women within it; more theoretical.
Opposites
Word family
- subjugate verb
- To bring a person or group under control by force or authority.
- subjugated adjective
- Forced into a position of obedience and control.
- subjugation noun
- The act or state of being controlled by another group or person.
Commonly confused: female subjugation or female suppression?
female subjugation vs female suppression
Suppression means stopping something from being expressed or known; subjugation means keeping a group under control.
Practice
The historian argued that female subjugation ______ most visible in the legal system.
Choose one answer.
'Female subjugation' is an uncountable singular noun, so it takes a singular verb; 'was' matches the past tense of 'argued'. 'Were' and 'are' are plural and do not agree with the singular subject.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “female subjugation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.